QuoteReplyTopic: Eno's influence on early Roxy Music overrated? Posted: January 16 2012 at 11:51

Hi everybody!

After hearing Roxy Music's debut, Keith Emerson did some
biting remarks in Melody Maker of summer 72, criticising
Brian Eno's lacking technical abilities.
Now it's often stated, that without Eno their two early masterpieces
(self-titled debut and For your pleasure) wouldn't have
happened. Although I like his gimmickry (e.g. on Bogus Man),
I doubt this statement.
Most essential song-ideas even in that formative period came
(you can easily look this up in the Roxy-biographies) from Ferry.
The single point that's distinguishing Eno's approach to music
and therefore the main ingredient for his solo-career, is his unique
approach to sound(s), which for Roxy Music imo is not that important.
So, if Eddie Jobson would have alreday joined for those first
two albums, he'd sure could have done the same Moog-extravaganza.
But this was not to be and so the legend lives.

Those were the early days of electronica, I mean the VCS3 was a pioneering instrument that often oscillated out of control. Roxy was mostly a Ferry vehicle with contributions from Mackay, Manzanera and Thompson (the most underrated drummer, period!) . The bass slot was a turnstile all along and Jobson was a unique hired gun (like with Tull) . Eno's contribution was treating sounds and visions (his hair, plumes, spandex, sequins, boas etc...) , filtering Manzanera's lofty leads and providing a live contrast to Ferry's suave demeanor. Eno became a wizard and a true star (sorry, Todd) when he left RM and started spweing amazing , visionary rock albums , like his first few. The rest is history.

To compare Emerson to Eno is about as obliquely absurd as it gets.

Edited by tszirmay - January 16 2012 at 12:04

"The more I analyze the human race, the more I love my dog" Mme de Stael

Sorry tszirmay, but I didn't compare Keith Emerson to
Brian Eno, but just cited a remark by Emerson on Eno's
technical abilities, which is definitely not the same.
You say "Eno's contribution was treating sounds and visions".
Yes, exactly. And I did inflict the creating of "sound(s)" as imo the main reason for his solo career and lasting reputation.
So what?

I took the Emerson remark from David Buckley's well-researched biography "Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music".
Besides, as a fan of Roxy music (saw them 18 times live),
it wasn't my intention to downgrade Eno's achievements
towards Roxy's formative years, but just to throw in
a little pepper, cause sometimes in the discussions one
really gets the impression of people thinking that without
Eno Roxy wouldn't have started.
And this I indeed doubt strongly.

Too bad Eno was fired from RM. His Enossification was fabulous on early Roxy. They never sounded that good anymore after Eno left. In my ever so humble opinion, of course There's more than virtuosity to keyboardists. Eno knew about atmosphere, which was great.

Too bad Eno was fired from RM. His Enossification was fabulous on early Roxy. They never sounded that good anymore after Eno left. In my ever so humble opinion, of course There's more than virtuosity to keyboardists. Eno knew about atmosphere, which was great.

Fired? I thought he quit. [pulling my hair.]

Edited by Dayvenkirq - May 30 2012 at 17:13

"Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, ... ."

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot create polls in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum